Old houses are known for their many hand-crafted features, like hardwood floors, which give unique character to these buildings. These old floors, laid with the craft and materials of a previous time, have most likely seen lots of use. Restoring the worn, scratched and stained old floors is a favorite winter project. 

If your historic brick home has a brick chimney, spring is the right time to consider the need for a chimney repair. Deteriorating brick-mortar isn’t just a cosmetic problem, but rather a serious potential source of water leaks into your home. The exposed mortar in many Washington DC brick chimneys is particularly vulnerable to weather […]

  The harsh weather of winter adds ice and snow to DC brick walkways and steps. Using salt or other chemical de-icing products to remove ice and snow from brick walkways can damage and stain the bricks, degrade the mortar joints and harm any nearby vegetation. Homeowners are challenged by the need to maintain safe walkways […]

Many historic homes in DC have brick steps and walkways. If properly built and well maintained, these classic entry ways have lasted for decades. Bricks are durable and reflect the formality of the historic design. Repairs should be done in a way that maintains their architectural and structural integrity.

Historic brick homes in most DC neighborhoods were constructed with relatively soft, porous bricks and limestone mortar. Many of the interiors were covered with lime plaster. Occasionally these plastered walls, spackled and repainted during a renovation, show signs of bubbling. Homeowners can find a solution in the original materials used to build their old homes. 

Many historic homes in the Washington DC area display stately brick facades. One of the advantages of this type of construction is that brick masonry is relatively maintenance free. While the brick units can last 100 years or more, the mortar joints typically last for twenty to thirty years depending on the type of weather exposure. After that, […]

Owners of old brick houses in Washington DC’s historic neighborhoods might notice a crumbling or flaking of the surface of their brickwork. This form of deterioration, known as spalling brick, usually results from some form of water damage. If your old home is brick and you’re not familiar with spalling, here’s what you should know. 

Owners of historic DC brick homes often face the need to repair and restore the brick and mortar facades. When comparing estimates from masonry contractors, traditional tuck pointing methods and materials may seem more costly than the others. In fact, the use of traditional techniques and materials are actually the best way to save money […]

If you are the owner of an old brick house in the DC area, you have likely heard of tuckpointing. Also known as repointing, it is the process by which the facades of brick structures are restored and maintained. Even the most savvy owners of historic homes may not know the right way to handle upkeep […]